Thursday, June 13, 2013

castle keep

A "keep" or defensive tower is called a "donjon" in French. This is one of those "faux amies" (false friends) where the French word is similar to (or the same as) an English word but the meaning is not the same. Thus, a "dungeon" in English (a subterranean jail cell) is really the opposite of the French word "donjon" although pronounced similarly. Unfortunately, there are other French words that can really get an anglophone in trouble.

This tower is part of the château at Chinon. During the middle ages these types of defensive measures were to ward off invasions from other competing regional powers. I don't know the details of any one skirmish here but looking at it, it's hard to see how you could ever get past the high walls with arrows being shot at you from above. Sometimes, the invaders would just lay siege to eventually starve the inhabitants to death. What fun it must have been to live in those times.

About Amboise

Amboise is a town of some 13,000 inhabitants on the Loire river about two hours south of Paris by car or train. The Loire river valley is home to over 50 châteaux including Chenonceau, Chambord, Villandry, and of course the château at Amboise. Tourism plays a huge role in the economy as the area draws tourists who come to tour the châteaux, taste the local wines and goat cheeses, and ride the many bike trails and routes.

Here is link to a drone's eye view of Amboise provided by the Tourist Office.

About Me

I am an American who retired from technology and moved to Amboise to pursue my hobbies of travel, photography, and woodworking and to share the good life with my wife Elizabeth.
You may contact me at StuartByrom@gmail.com.